MkLeo caps off an impressive 2021, wins Smash World Tour

The Ultimate side of the Smash World Tour fulfilled its promise in bringing together the most outstanding talent from across the world, comprising top players from North America, Europe, Asia, and more, coming together for an exciting three days of esports competition.

During the Smash World Tour, many underrepresented regions, including the Dominican Republic and Spain, made themselves known during the event, owing to the incredible performance of players such as Carlos "Sonix" Pérez and Pau "sisqui" Caire.  However, ultimately, the true king of Ultimate, Leonardo "MkLeo" Pérez, came out on top.

MkLeo wins Smash World Tour Grand Finals

What started as a rocky year for MkLeo, which saw him lose Ultimate Summit 3 and Glitch 8.5 to Gavin "Tweek" Dempsey and Eric "ESAM" Lew, respectively, ended up being a massive return to form for the T1 rep.

Moreover, some fans speculated that other players were catching up to him post-pandemic after MkLeo dropped Joker almost entirely in favour of Byleth, a character generally thought of as weaker by the community.

There's no argument against the fact that Leo ended up 2021 at his best.

The star player seemingly breezed through his pool by dropping only two games and proceeded to 3-0 Samuel "Dabuz" Buzby, CEO winner Kolawole "Kola" Aideyan, and Edgar "Valdez" Sparg0. Furthermore, Leo surprised viewers by opting into the Pyra/Mythra mirror, a character he had previously picked up with lacklustre results. 

After such a dominant display against Sparg0 in the Winners Finals, Leo continued mirror matching his opponent, Brian "Cosmos" Kalu, who proved more than ready to step up against the world's best. 

Noticeably more comfortable with Aegi's toolkit, his usage of foresight became a struggle for Leo, who failed to confirm into high damaging combos, getting punished constantly for his attempts. 

This is looking like a brand new @CosmosZR.

He's only ONE GAME AWAY from resetting the bracket against MkLeo! #SWTC

📺 https://t.co/ojC4lPyM4Q

Relive the best moments as they happen on our #SWT2021 Playlists LIVE on @FreshCut 📱 and web: https://t.co/6wyYTQIuQIpic.twitter.com/2KH4TARSDo

— Smash World Tour Championships #SWTC (@SmashWorldTour) December 20, 2021

Eventually, with the score favouring Cosmos 2-1, Leo decided to pull his trusty Byleth, a matchup he didn't feel comfortable with, as Sparg0 was just one hit away from beating him at Mainstage.

Despite his initial discomfort, it was immediately clear Cosmos didn't have as much experience against the Fire Emblem character, forcing engagements when he didn't need to, losing neutral constantly and trading blows that ultimately favoured the Mexican.

In the end, the result was inevitable, and MkLeo clutched it out like no one else can in Smash Ultimate.

Congratulations to @Mkleosb, the first ever Smash World Tour Ultimate Champion! #SWT2021#SWTCpic.twitter.com/ePysjoNDcs

— Smash World Tour Championships #SWTC (@SmashWorldTour) December 20, 2021

Now, as 2022 approaches and the Panda Global Rankings are set to kick off once again, MkLeo has his sights set on maintaining his tyrannic hegemony over the Smash Ultimate competitive scene.

Smash World Tour Ultimate - Final placements

• 1st.- MkLeo
• 2nd.- Cosmos
• 3rd.- Sparg0
• 4th.- Zomba
• 5th.- Kola
• 5th.- Dabuz
• 7th.- Protobanham
• 7th.- KEN

Congratulations, MkLeo!

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Featured image courtesy of Smash World Tour.